Student Bar Association Meeting

February 11, 2018 @ 6:00 PM

  1. Roll call (2:00)

Position / Name
President / Thomas Johnson / Present
Vice President / Patrick Kennedy / Present
Treasurer / VACANT / --
Secretary / Paula Bloomquist / Present
At-Large / Jacqueline Primeau / Present
ABA / Crystal Lemmer / Present
4L / Brian Linnerooth / Present
3L FT / Faruq Karim / Present
3L FT / VACANT / --
3L PT / Alexander Dyer / Present
3L Weekend / Caroline Moos / Present
2L FT / David Milavetz / Present
2L FT / Scott Ducharme / Present
2L PT / Peter Black / Present
2L Weekend / Chad Burkitt / Present
1L Section 1 / Kory Kleven / Excused
1L Section 2 / Tim Shaffer / Present
1L Section 3 / Gabriel Ramirez-Hernandez / Present
1L Section 4 / Duane Quam / Present
1L EJD / Kimani Kerr / Unexcused
Hybrid Cohort 1 / Bethany Lambert / Present
Hybrid Cohort 1 / VACANT / --
Hybrid Cohort 2 / Heather Kiedrowski / Unexcused
Hybrid Cohort 2 / Joseph McMahon / Excused
Hybrid Cohort 3 / Rachell Henning / Present
Hybrid Cohort 3 / Yolanda Wilson / Present
Hybrid Cohort 4 / Rosemary Cronin / Present
Hybrid Cohort 4 / Wendy Baudoin / Present

While our treasurer spot is vacant, Kelsey Tope continues to fill in.

  1. Officer reports
  2. President (90 seconds)
  3. Johnson
  4. Nothing to report
  5. Vice President (90 seconds)
  6. Kennedy
  7. Nothing to report
  8. Treasurer (90 seconds)
  9. VACANT
  10. Nothing to report
  11. Secretary (90 seconds)
  12. Bloomquist
  13. Nothing to report
  14. At-Large (2:00)
  15. Primeau
  16. Nothing to report
  17. Committee Reports
  18. ABA – Crystal Lemmer
  19. Getting spring fling organized – looking into budget
  20. Trying to organize a trivia night
  21. Culture/Diversity – Faruq Karim
  22. No updates since the last meeting, working on Diversity Day
  23. HEWES – Caroline Moos
  24. Working with Chad and Duey on the weekender event with “Deans and Dessert”
  25. Alumni Relations – Yolanda Wilson
  26. Next event is on March 6 at the Foshay – “Spring Break at the Foshay” for alumni and students. More details to follow.
  27. Elections – Alex Dyer
  28. Email went out by Dean LeMoine on Monday for the Cohort 1, 3L and treasurer rep
  29. Voting starts February 19th
  30. Some concerns over 1Ls wanting to run as treasurer due to lack of experience with SBA and what being treasurer entails
  31. Someone from Ways & Means will likely have to help with financial decisions
  32. Social – Gabriel Ramirez-Hernandez
  33. Barristers coming up – April 14
  34. Have plenty of volunteers at this point, now looking into details with the venue
  35. By-Laws – Scott Ducharme
  36. Notice period issues – looking into resolving these and other conflicting areas of the By-Laws
  37. Student Services/Facilities – Tim Shaffer
  38. Getting the ball rolling on coffee machine
  39. Communications – Paula Bloomquist
  40. Health & Wellness – Jackie Primeau
  41. Food for the blood drive for donors
  42. Possible budget requests
  43. Ways & Means – Need new chair
  44. Old business
  45. Minutes from the January meeting
  46. Motion to approve by Kennedy, seconded by Primeau
  47. Moos and Johnson abstain, motion passes
  48. New business
  49. By-Laws
  50. More changes are coming
  51. Budget Policies – Art. 6 (B)(5)(c)(iv)
  52. Currently: Unspent student organization allocated funds shall be retained by the student organization for use in future years. The Board retains the right to reclaim student organization allocated funds in the event the organization is inactive, misusing funds, or for unforeseen circumstances.
  53. Updated: Unspent student organization allocated funds for the Fall semester shall be forfeited five (5) days after the final day of the Fall semester. Unspent student organization allocated funds for the Spring semester shall be forfeited five (5) days after the final day of the Spring semester. The Board retains the right to reclaim student organization allocated funds in the event the organization is inactive, misusing funds, or for unforeseen circumstances.
  54. Motioned by Ducharme, seconded by Henning

Position / Name
President / Thomas Johnson / Abstains
Vice President / Patrick Kennedy / Aye
Treasurer / VACANT / --
Secretary / Paula Bloomquist / Aye
At-Large / Jacqueline Primeau / Aye
ABA / Crystal Lemmer / Aye
4L / Brian Linnerooth / Aye
3L FT / Faruq Karim / Aye
3L FT / VACANT / --
3L PT / Alexander Dyer / Abstains
3L Weekend / Caroline Moos / Aye
2L FT / David Milavetz / Aye
2L FT / Scott Ducharme / Aye
2L PT / Peter Black / Aye
2L Weekend / Chad Burkitt / Aye
1L Section 1 / Kory Kleven / Excused
1L Section 2 / Tim Shaffer / Aye
1L Section 3 / Gabriel Ramirez-Hernandez / Abstains
1L Section 4 / Duane Quam / Aye
1L EJD / Kimani Kerr / Unexcused
Hybrid Cohort 1 / Bethany Lambert / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 1 / VACANT / --
Hybrid Cohort 2 / Heather Kiedrowski / Unexcused
Hybrid Cohort 2 / Joseph McMahon / Excused
Hybrid Cohort 3 / Rachell Henning / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 3 / Yolanda Wilson / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 4 / Rosemary Cronin / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 4 / Wendy Baudoin / Aye

17 ayes, 3 abstentions, 0 nays. Motion passes

  1. APALSA is requesting an additional $300 for a toast master event (total $450) Information they gave:
  2. I am writing to request additional funding for APALSA’s ‘Cheers to This’ event. This is event uses a Toast Master format to connect students with legal professionals. Students are afforded an intimate opportunity with the professionals and receive candid feedback. Last year’s event proved to be very successful with the involvement of several professionals, which included Judge Starr and Cliff Greene of Greene Espel PLLP. There were several students that walked away with confidence in their advocacy skills and new mentors. Originally, we requested $150 for this year’s ‘Cheers to This.’ There was a misunderstanding that each student org may only request a maximum of $150 per event. We’ve come to understand differently and are requesting an additional $300 for ‘Cheers to This.’ APALSA spent $657 on catering for this event last year and feel $450 should be sufficient for this year’s event.
  3. Motion to table until we have an itemized list for the spending by Burkitt, Moos seconds – Johnson and Faruq abstains, motion passes to table this request until we have more information
  4. New Lawyers is requesting $100 to pay for pizza and refreshments for an event they are holding. Information they gave us is as follows:
  5. New Lawyers committee for the MSBA, and the group is sponsoring a speaker on March 29 at 5 pm. The speaker is Liz Fors, who is a second year associate at Robins Kaplin. She will be talking about what it is like to be a new associate on a big malpractice case. She helped with the malpractice case involving the women who was sent home from Abbot and later died from an infection. Here is a link involving the details: Although there is probably many interesting aspects of this case, Liz will be focusing her talk especially on what it was like to be a new lawyer in a supporting role on the case: what her personal/professional life was like, what kind of tasks she did, what challenges she faced, and so on.
  6. Because the New Lawyers section is brand new this year at the MSBA, we have few resources (we are still in the process of making this a standing committee). That is why we are reaching out to on-campus groups to see if there is any interest co-sponsoring or helping advertise the event. Would the SBA have any interest in helping advertising or providing funds for refreshments?
  7. Motioned to table by Moos until we have further information, seconded by Linnerooth
  8. Wilson, Karim, Johnson abstains and the motion passes to table this request until we have more information
  9. After 3 unexcused absences, a Board member is automatically removed from the Board pursuant to Art.III, § D, subd. 4 of the Constitution. Mr. Kerr has missed the past 3 meetings and has given no explanation as to why
  10. Motion to dismiss Mr. Kerr made by Burkitt, Lemmer seconds

Position / Name
President / Thomas Johnson / Abstains
Vice President / Patrick Kennedy / Aye
Treasurer / VACANT / --
Secretary / Paula Bloomquist / Aye
At-Large / Jacqueline Primeau / Aye
ABA / Crystal Lemmer / Aye
4L / Brian Linnerooth / Aye
3L FT / Faruq Karim / Aye
3L FT / VACANT / --
3L PT / Alexander Dyer / Abstains
3L Weekend / Caroline Moos / Aye
2L FT / David Milavetz / Aye
2L FT / Scott Ducharme / Nay
2L PT / Peter Black / Aye
2L Weekend / Chad Burkitt / Aye
1L Section 1 / Kory Kleven / Excused
1L Section 2 / Tim Shaffer / Aye
1L Section 3 / Gabriel Ramirez-Hernandez / Abstains
1L Section 4 / Duane Quam / Aye
1L EJD / Kimani Kerr / Unexcused
Hybrid Cohort 1 / Bethany Lambert / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 1 / VACANT / --
Hybrid Cohort 2 / Heather Kiedrowski / Unexcused
Hybrid Cohort 2 / Joseph McMahon / Excused
Hybrid Cohort 3 / Rachell Henning / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 3 / Yolanda Wilson / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 4 / Rosemary Cronin / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 4 / Wendy Baudoin / Aye

Johnson and Dyer abstain, Ducharme votes nay. Motion passes and Mr. Kerr is removed from the Board of Governors. He may appeal after the Secretary provides notice to him.*

*Notice was provided to Mr. Kerr on 2/13/18.

  1. Article 2, § A, subd. F (ix) – President cannot appoint people to a specific position after someone has resigned.
  2. Ducharme noted a better way would to have one special election per semester, any other vacancies are appointed by the President and approved by roll call vote.

Motion to recess for 10 minutes by Moos, seconded by Ramirez-Hernandez

Position / Name
President / Thomas Johnson
Vice President / Patrick Kennedy / Nay
Treasurer / VACANT / --
Secretary / Paula Bloomquist / Nay
At-Large / Jacqueline Primeau / Aye
ABA / Crystal Lemmer / Nay
4L / Brian Linnerooth / Nay
3L FT / Faruq Karim / Aye
3L FT / VACANT / --
3L PT / Alexander Dyer / Nay
3L Weekend / Caroline Moos / Aye
2L FT / David Milavetz / Abstains
2L FT / Scott Ducharme / Aye
2L PT / Peter Black / Aye
2L Weekend / Chad Burkitt / Aye
1L Section 1 / Kory Kleven / Excused
1L Section 2 / Tim Shaffer / Aye
1L Section 3 / Gabriel Ramirez-Hernandez / Aye
1L Section 4 / Duane Quam / Aye
1L EJD
Hybrid Cohort 1 / Bethany Lambert / Abstain
Hybrid Cohort 1 / VACANT / --
Hybrid Cohort 2 / Heather Kiedrowski / Unexcused
Hybrid Cohort 2 / Joseph McMahon / Excused
Hybrid Cohort 3 / Rachell Henning / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 3 / Yolanda Wilson / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 4 / Rosemary Cronin / Aye
Hybrid Cohort 4 / Wendy Baudoin / Nay

Motion to recess for 10 minutes passes.

Returned at 7:33. Still discussing by-laws changed.

  1. Current proposed language:
  2. Motion to commit to bylaws committee, Primeau moves, Karim seconded
  3. Johnson and Remirez-Hernandez abstains, motion to table passes to put students on notice of this change.
  4. “During the interim, while a position remains vacant before a replacement is found through a special election, the President may appoint an interim representative to fill that position with approval from a majority of the Board of Governors.”
  1. Rep reports (1:00 per rep)
  2. 4L
  3. 3L FT
  4. Complaints about only one session for the information session put on by the Minnesota Board of Law Examiners and it was unable to be recorded.
  5. 3L FT
  6. 3L PT
  7. 3L Weekend
  8. 2L FT
  9. 2L FT
  10. 2 PT
  11. 2L Weekend
  12. 1L PT
  13. 1L Section 2
  14. 1L Section 3
  15. 1L Weekend
  16. 1L EJD
  17. Hybrid Cohort 1
  18. Hybrid Cohort 2
  19. Hybrid Cohort 3
  20. Hybrid Cohort 4
  21. Open forum (2:00 per comment)
  22. Adjournment
  23. Moved by Linnerooth, seconded by Kennedy. Johnson abstains, motion passes.